It is well known that an effective method of maintaining oral hygiene is cleaning the teeth and gingival regions on a daily basis. The conventional method of cleaning teeth involves flossing the teeth as well as brushing the teeth and gums with dentifrice (e.g., toothpaste, tooth powder) using a toothbrush. In addition to brushing the teeth, the conventional method may include the step of rinsing the teeth and gums with antiseptic fluid or mouthwash to kill bacterial plaque which can cause white-spot lesions, dental caries (e.g., tooth decay and cavities), and gingivitis. However, the conventional method of oral care requires a significant number of steps involving coordinated movement of the hands and mouth. For example, a person must stand in front of a mirror, tear a piece of floss, insert the floss between the teeth gently sliding the floss up and down, curve the floss around the base of each tooth, making sure the floss goes beneath the gumline, thereafter grip a tooth brush, apply toothpaste to the bristles of the toothbrush, properly orient the toothbrush so that the bristles contact the surfaces of the teeth (e.g., buccal, labial, lingual, occlusal) as well as the gum line, perform a repetitive brushing motion for at least two minutes, and then expel toothpaste suds. Further, the person must measure an amount of mouthwash, pour it into the mouth, gargle for a period of time, and thereafter expel the spent mouthwash.
Because the conventional form of oral care involves laborious steps and requires substantial dexterity in maneuvering a cleaning device (e.g., toothbrush), people suffering from physical and/or mental disabilities fail to properly clean their teeth. In some situations, seniors and handicapped people, such as amputees, people suffering impairments or paralysis in the arms and/or hands, and people suffering from developmental disabilities (e.g., autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome) are unable to perform the conventional oral care method because they either have limited dexterous abilities in their hands/arms or lack the mental capacity to perform the steps involved therein. Consequently, another person (e.g., caregiver, healthcare professional) must brush and floss the teeth of the senior or handicapped person. With regard to amputees having prosthetic hands and/or hooks, these artificial limbs are unable to firmly grip small or thin items, like a toothbrush. Controlling a toothbrush with artificial limbs has proven to be difficult, especially since the toothbrush often slips out of the prosthesis. In short, there lacks effective oral care for people who lack dexterous abilities.
In order to promote improved oral care, dental devices have been developed which simplify the steps needed to properly clean teeth. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,237,574 to Kelly et al. discloses a mouthpiece with a plurality of brush heads disposed along an inner channel and ultrasonic means for vibrating the brush heads. Kelly further discloses a different mouthpiece, wherein, instead of using brush heads, a fluid medium is supplied to and discharged from the mouth piece, wherein the fluid medium is used to transmit ultrasonic energy to the teeth. These two devices, however, fail to clean between the teeth, where buildup of plaque and food debris is common. The bristles on the brush heads do not extend and reach between the teeth. Further, the mere use of a fluid medium to clean the teeth is not as effective as scrubbing them with brush heads. In other words, the energy transmitted by the fluid to the teeth during rinsing is not sufficient alone to break up plaque deposits on the teeth. Moreover, the two devices still require a person to use his/her hands to hold and insert the mouthpiece into a mouth prior to cleaning and remove the mouthpiece after cleaning.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,118,377 to Inoue et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 6,893,259 to Reizenson and U.S. Patent Application No. 2011/0318705 to Sullivan et al. each describe a dental system adapted to clean a person's teeth and gingival regions using a disinfection modality. Each system comprises a mouthpiece, a supply tube connecting the mouthpiece to a supply unit, a drain tube connecting the mouthpiece to a drain unit, and a pump unit for introducing a cleaning solution into the mouthpiece through the supply tube and removing spent solution through the drain tube. However, the systems disclosed in these references fail to provide adequate means for removing plaque on the surfaces of teeth, in the gingival crevices between the teeth and gums, and in the teeth crevices. It is generally agreed upon that the mere use of a cleaning solution, such as mouthwash, does not provide an effective means of cleaning teeth and does not eliminate the need for brushing and flossing. Moreover, these systems cannot be easily used by people who have limited dexterity. Each system still requires that a person (either a caregiver or the person with limited dexterous abilities) hold and insert the mouthpiece into the mouth before starting a cleaning session and remove the mouthpiece from the mouth after the cleaning session has ended. In addition, because of the weight of components that are attached to the mouthpiece, it is sometimes necessary for one to hold the mouthpiece constantly during a cleaning session in order to reduce any undue force, pressure, and/or stress exerted on the mouth.
While the prior art dental systems provide some benefits in oral maintenance, they still suffer from several disadvantages. One major disadvantage is that these dental systems are not designed for people who lack dexterity, including handicapped people, amputees, people suffering impairments or paralysis in the arms and/or hands, and people suffering from developmental disabilities. Prior art dental systems are not hands-free and still require a person to hold and insert the dental device into the mouth and hold the device stable within the mouth during a cleaning session. With respect to conventional toothbrushes, a person must also manually brush the teeth. Another disadvantage is that the prior art dental systems fail to effectively clean the crevices between teeth where plaque and food debris commonly accumulate. Further, the prior art dental systems do not provide a comprehensive, synergistic treatment of the teeth and gums, which includes plaque-removing, cleaning, disinfecting, and preventative modalities.